Half A Century Apart

oceanapicconey

“Half a Century Apart — a grandmother and her granddaughter explore what we cherish, what we create, and how we grow.” Bridging a 50-year age gap, we come together in authentic, intergenerational conversation shaped by two distinct worlds. Laura, born into the babyboomers, brings the wisdom of a life lived through great social change as a poet, teacher, and Elder. Oceana, born in 2000 and part of Gen Z, offers the voice of a younger generation shaped by creativity, emotional awareness, and a longing for authenticity and meaning in an increasingly overwhelming world, drawing from her work as an artist, art therapist, and creative facilitator. It’s a place that feels like home — where we dive into real, soul-rich conversations that heal, reveal, and inspire. Our bond is the glue: the blood that connects us, the love that guides us, and the stories that have shaped us.

Episodes

  1. 11 Aug

    Episode 7 Surrendering to the voice of the heart

    In this episode, we explore control versus surrender and the ways intuition — or the voice of the heart — can guide us. We reflect on how honouring this inner voice can grow our capacity to listen, trust ourselves, and surrender more deeply to the flow of life. We also explore how art and creativity can reveal intuitive messages, giving form to something we may sense or feel before we fully understand it. We reference the beautiful mantra sung by Alexa Sunshine Rose, “I Release Control and Surrender to the Flow of Love That Will Heal Me.” alexasunshinerose.com We mention The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A. Singer (Harmony Books, 2015). Laura reads her poem, “On Having Arrived at the Age of Twenty-One,” from The Generosity of Birds by Laura Jan Shore (Concrete Wolf Press), winner of the 2024 Louis Award. Oceana reads her poem “Wild Simplicity,” composed while sailing. With gratitude for the intro and outro music by Wayne Joseph Kington from his album Self-Portrait. Explore more of his work at waynejoseph.com.au. This podcast is created and recorded on Bundjalung Country, with deep respect and gratitude to Elders past, present, and emerging. If this episode stirred something in you, you are welcome to explore more of our work. Oceana Piccone offers transpersonal art therapy and creative facilitation, supporting others to reconnect with their inner landscape through art. Explore more at https://www.creativeimpulse.com.au/ Laura Jan Shore is a poet and teacher of writing whose work explores love, nature, and the human spirit. Explore more athttps://laurajanshore.com/

  2. 24 July

    Episode 6 Waking up to joy

    In this episode, we explore what joy means to us, why it appears when it does, and how it can arise even in the midst of grief. We reflect on the ways we resist joy, and why, at times, it can even feel vulnerable or embarrassing to express our joy to others. Alongside our conversation, we share gentle reflections and a short heart-focused appreciation meditation, inspired by the work of HeartMath, inviting you to cultivate a deeper sense of presence, gratitude, and joy. You may like to have some pencils and paper nearby, as we also offer a simple creative reflection to explore your own experience. We include a quote by Uvavnuk, a 19th-century Inuit elder, recorded by Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen. We also reference the book Reclaiming Joy: Living Well with Chronic Illness, edited by Ruth Winton-Brown and Laura Jan Shore. To learn more or order a copy, visit reclaimingjoy.com. Oceana also reflects on ideas from The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, exploring awareness, witnessing the mind, and our relationship to joy. Laura reads her poem “Joy” from The Generosity of Birds (Concrete Wolf Press, Oregon, 2024). We also reference the teachings of HeartMath (heartmath.com) and HeartMastery (heartmastery.com). With gratitude to Wayne Joseph Kington for the beautiful intro and outro music from his album Self-Portrait. Explore more of his work at waynejoseph.com.au. This podcast is created and recorded on Bundjalung Country, with deep respect and gratitude to Elders past, present, and emerging. If this episode stirred something in you, you’re warmly invited to explore more of our work. Oceana Piccone offers transpersonal art therapy and creative facilitation, supporting others to reconnect with their inner landscape through creativity and art. Explore more at https://www.creativeimpulse.com.au/ Laura Jan Shore is a poet and teacher of writing whose work explores love, nature, and the human spirit. Explore more at https://laurajanshore.com/poetry/

  3. 11 May

    Episode 5 Higher Masculine, Higher Feminine & the Path to Balance

    In this episode, we explore the inner masculine and feminine parts of ourselves, the lower and higher expressions of these energies, and the path toward inner balance. We speak about how these dynamics shape our relationships, creativity, confidence, and sense of self, touching on nervous system regulation and the ways these parts emerge when the body feels safe enough to express them.   We also weave in personal stories around lineage, inherited patterns, and the ways these dynamics ripple through generations. Together we reflect on how we begin to shift these patterns, bridge the gap within ourselves, and move toward greater balance, inner peace, and ease in this life.   Alongside the conversation, we share gentle tools for becoming aware of and processing these aspects within ourselves, as well as a short art therapy meditation — so you may want to pull out some pencils and paper.   We reference teachings and terminology learned through HeartMath and HeartMastery around the higher and lower masculine and feminine aspects.   With gratitude for the intro and outro music by Wayne Joseph Kington from the album Self-Portrait. Explore more of his work at Wayne Joseph Kington and Facebook page   This podcast is created and recorded on Bundjalung Country, with deep respect and gratitude to Elders past, present, and emerging.   If this episode stirred something in you, you are welcome to explore more of our work.   Oceana Piccone offers transpersonal art therapy and creative facilitation, supporting others to reconnect with their inner landscape through art. Explore more at Creative Impulse   Laura Jan Shore is a poet and writer whose work explores love, nature, and the human spirit. Explore more at Laura Jan Shore

  4. 12 Apr

    Episode 4 Creativity as lineage, liberation and lifeline

    In this episode, we explore the primal need to express and create, and reflect on the many ways women have historically been restricted or deprived of that freedom. We speak to creativity as something that lives through us — as lineage, as liberation, and as a lifeline. Inspired by The Artist’s Way, we took ourselves on an artist’s weekend away, reconnecting with our own creative rhythms and practices. We share the joy of witnessing other women’s art and how deeply it inspires us, particularly during our visit to the exhibition Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Featuring over 200 works by 50 trailblazing artists, the exhibition offered a powerful glimpse into the courage and creative force of women across time. Oceana reflects on a painting by Emily Chapman, depicting her husband fallen on the battlefield of World War I. We were also deeply moved by the all-women Indigenous dance troupe Jannawi Dance Clan and their performance Garrigarrang Badu at the Sydney Opera House as part of Sydney Festival 2026. We touch on two films that honour the lives of women artists: Séraphine, directed by Martin Provost, about French painter Séraphine Louis, and Maudie, directed by Aisling Walsh, about artist Maud Lewis. Poetry shared in this episode: “I didn’t trust it for a moment” from Naked Song by Lalla (translated by Coleman Barks) “To Failure” from Breathworks by Laura Jan Shore With gratitude for the intro and outro music by Wayne Joseph Kington from his album Self-Portrait www.waynejoseph.com.au https://www.facebook.com/waynejosephkington This podcast is created and recorded on Bundjalung Country, with deep respect and gratitude to Elders past, present, and emerging.   If this episode stirred something in you, you are welcome to explore more of our work.   Oceana Piccone offers transpersonal art therapy and creative facilitation, supporting others to reconnect with their inner landscape through art. Explore more at Creative Impulse   Laura Jan Shore is a poet and writer whose work explores love, nature, and the human spirit. Explore more at Laura Jan Shore

  5. 9 Feb

    Episode 2 Breaking the Silence Between Generations

    In this episode, we explore ancestral trauma, inherited belief systems, rites of passage, and the journey toward conscious healing. We speak about adolescent emotional insecurity, loneliness, and confusion, and how these experiences can echo across generations. A gentle trigger warning is included, as we briefly touch on suicidal impulses. A few years ago, something shifted when one of us chose to open up and share our story fully, our truths, joys, and pain. Sometimes family sees us through the lens of roles or expectations, but when stories are shared in our own words, something powerful can unfold. For us, that moment of honesty built a bridge beyond family. It became a friendship rooted in trust, creativity, and healing. We reflect on how creativity nourishes and heals, and how meaningful conversations can carry threads of ancestral healing across time.     Poem- ‘Deliverance’, from BreathWorks, Laura Jan Shore,Dangerously Poetic Press, Byron Bay, 2002 We reference  HeartMath, https://www.heartmath.com   Quote, Charles Shultz, creator of Peanuts Cartoons   We are grateful for the intro and outro music from Wayne Joseph Kington from his exquisite new album, Self-Portrait. www.waynejoseph.com.au https://www.facebook.com/waynejosephkington This podcast is created and recorded on Bundjalung Country, with deep respect and gratitude to Elders past, present, and emerging.   If this episode stirred something in you, you are welcome to explore more of our work.   Oceana Piccone offers transpersonal art therapy and creative facilitation, supporting others to reconnect with their inner landscape through art. Explore more at Creative Impulse   Laura Jan Shore is a poet and writer whose work explores love, nature, and the human spirit. Explore more at Laura Jan Shore

  6. 11 Jan

    Episode 1 Where We Begin

    Two voices, one thread. A grandmother and granddaughter record the first of many conversations, raw, real, and filled with heart. We weave stories across generations, exploring creativity, memory, and what it means to be human, together. In this episode, we introduce ourselves Laura, a poet in her 70s, and Oceana, an artist in her 20s and share how the idea for this podcast came to be. What does it mean to be an Elder in the 21st century? What is this world offering those in their twenties? What is alive for each of us at this time? Creativity has saved both of our lives, many times. In this space, we explore generational trauma and our place on that continuum, tending to the inner world so the young can walk lighter. Through shared dialogue, reflection, and emotional digestion, we explore how healing ripples outward across generations. We hope our conversations about the similarities and differences between two generations one raised in the 1950s and the other born in 2000 inspire listeners to reach across generations and connect. We are grateful for the intro and outro music from Wayne Kington from his exquisite new album, Self-Portrait. www.waynejoseph.com.au https://www.facebook.com/waynejosephkington Poem – “Continuance” from The Generosity of Birds, Laura Jan Shore, Concrete Wolf Press, winner of Louis Award, Oregon, 2024 We reference HeartMath, https://www.heartmath.com Quote by D.H. Lawrence from his poem, “Phoenix”   This podcast is created and recorded on Bundjalung Country, with deep respect and gratitude to Elders past, present, and emerging.   If this episode stirred something in you, you are welcome to explore more of our work.   Oceana Piccone offers transpersonal art therapy and creative facilitation, supporting others to reconnect with their inner landscape through art. Explore more at Creative Impulse   Laura Jan Shore is a poet and writer whose work explores love, nature, and the human spirit. Explore more at Laura Jan Shore

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

“Half a Century Apart — a grandmother and her granddaughter explore what we cherish, what we create, and how we grow.” Bridging a 50-year age gap, we come together in authentic, intergenerational conversation shaped by two distinct worlds. Laura, born into the babyboomers, brings the wisdom of a life lived through great social change as a poet, teacher, and Elder. Oceana, born in 2000 and part of Gen Z, offers the voice of a younger generation shaped by creativity, emotional awareness, and a longing for authenticity and meaning in an increasingly overwhelming world, drawing from her work as an artist, art therapist, and creative facilitator. It’s a place that feels like home — where we dive into real, soul-rich conversations that heal, reveal, and inspire. Our bond is the glue: the blood that connects us, the love that guides us, and the stories that have shaped us.